Page 16 of Parker

Chapter eleven

Nicky

I ignore the buzzing phone in my pocket for the umpteenth time. Sophie has been calling me since I contacted her two hours ago. My message was vague and obviously didn’t have the desired effect of calming the situation down. She leaves another voicemail.

“Nicky, what are you doing? You don’t know this guy. Your mother has just told me you moved in with him last week. The fact you never told me speaks bloody volumes. Yes, he’s hot and has a super-sized dick, but bloody hell woman, use your head for a minute.”

I laugh, but something, uncertainty maybe, tightens in my chest. My best friend is anxious, and possibly she has reason to be. But I don’t want to think about that right now, not when I’m running off to hide in a bubble with the man who’s swept me off my feet.

I smile over at Joel. We are heading north in his flying machine for the weekend.

“What did she say?” he asks. I lift my eyebrows and tap the side of my nose. “Oh, come on, tell me.” After hooking my cell up to Bluetooth, I replay Sophie’s message. “Super-sized,” he says and laughs. “Now, today is looking up.”

“I hate lying to her,” I admit. “But she would freak out if she knew the truth.”

“Just text her and tell her I’ve taken you away for the weekend,” he suggests. “She can’t begrudge you a sexy weekend away with me and my super-sized cock.”

A huge grin explodes across my face, and I snicker. “No, I suppose she can’t.”

The little white cottage sits on a cliff edge overlooking the North Sea.

Angry waves batter off the rocks below. Joel’s sleek car struggles to bounce along the stony track that leads to our secluded getaway.

Now we have arrived, we won’t be leaving until the weekend is over.

I plan to spend the next three days naked and in bed with my man.

After grabbing our bags from the trunk, we trudge across the path to the front door.

Summer in Scotland: the wind is blowing us sideways as the rain soaks us to the bone.

We run to escape the downpour, but it’s no use; the weather has already taken its toll on our appearance.

My hair hangs limply down the sides of my face, and Joel’s jeans stick to him like glue.

“They said there would be a key box,” Joel shouts across the storm.

“What? It’s windy. I can’t hear you.” He raises his eyebrows, and I stick my tongue out in response.

He gives me a dark look. I dump my bag on the floor and then run out into the rain.

He chases after me, and we rush around the front garden until he catches me around the waist. I fall into his arms.

Standing, staring at each other with the rain pelting down, we smile stupidly. Soft lips take mine with the most passionate kiss I’ve experienced in my life. Our tongues dance together as our eyes close with pleasure. Nothing else matters, only us, in this perfect moment.

“Let’s find the key,” he whispers against my lips. “I want to take you to bed.”

“You’ll need to get me dry first.”

“Baby, I plan to have you soaking wet all weekend.” Taking my hand, he leads me back to the cottage.

We find the hidden key box in a stone cat beside the front door.

As I reach for the key, a flicker of doubt tugs at my stomach.

Maybe this is all too perfect. Maybe I’m just a detour before he returns to the life waiting for him.

But I shake the thought off. Not today. Not while he's still looking at me like I’m the only thing that matters.

I push open the little green door, and our weekend together begins.

As we cross the threshold, our faces fall in unison. Turning to face each other, we burst into fits of giggles. My eyes scan the room, unable to comprehend what I’m seeing. It couldn’t be further from Joel’s modern mansion if it tried.

“Where the hell did you find this place?” I say, and more rolls of laughter erupt from my mouth. If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry.

“I didn’t. My assistant organized it. I told her to book something different and out of the way. Somewhere no one would look for us.” His face mirrors my own―pure shock.

“Well, I think we can agree she was successful in her mission.”

He scowls, seemingly lost for words. Blank eyes stare back at us.

Taxidermied animals of every variety are on display.

Walking over to a fox standing on the console table, I stroke its snout, the fur is surprisingly soft.

Empty black eyes meet mine, and I wonder what his last moments were like.

I doubt he would appreciate his body being stuffed and on show to random visitors.

“Don’t touch it, Nicky,” Joel hisses.

“Don’t be such a baby. It’s not going to bite me, is it?” I grin, and he grimaces. I take his hand, lifting it to my lips and kissing his knuckles. “Come on, let’s investigate the rest of the house. I still want a sex-filled weekend with you.”

His lips curl in distaste. “I doubt I could perform with this lot watching me.” He waves at the zoo surrounding us. “They’re looking at us as if we are their next meal.”

As I chuckle to myself, we wander through the small rooms. Furniture, ornaments, and eclectic knick-knacks cram the cottage.

Stag heads adorn every wall; sofas crowd together; dark wood furniture fills the rooms. There are low ceilings with thick wooden beams that Joel has to duck under to avoid bumping his head.

The general tone of the place is green and brown, and it’s clean but drab, certainly not what either of us had been expecting.

The lower floor serves as the living space, which includes a small, 1940s-era kitchen and a sparsely equipped bathroom. A wrought iron spiral staircase sits at the back of the structure. We stand at the bottom, staring up into the darkness above.

“It must be the bedroom,” I say.

“Or it’s just the attic, and we need to sleep outside,” Joel mumbles grumpily. I shake my head. This is a new side to him. I’ve only ever seen him happy or sad. The fact he can show me all parts of himself makes me feel more secure.

Taking my phone from my bag, I hit the flashlight, and the light shines into the bleak space.

Cautiously, I take my first step onto the iron stairs.

It feels strong, so I climb up, holding the light in front of me.

At the top, I find a light switch attached to the floorboards.

Whoever designed this place must be barking mad.

A soft glow appears from the edges of the room, lighting up the space, and I gasp in shock.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Joel shouts to me. “Nicky, this is crazy. Let’s go find a hotel. I’m going to kill Louise for booking this place.”

Pulling myself through the hole in the ceiling, I sit on the old attic floor.

The room extends into the full roof space of the cottage.

Low ceilings and dim light give it an almost cave-like feel.

A low bed, the kind that only keeps the mattress inches above the floor, sits at the far end of the room.

Cushions and blankets in various creams and browns, sumptuous and inviting, are piled high on it.

A huge rug spreads across the floor—the pile is deep and reassuring.

I can imagine us lying here making love for hours.

The last item the room holds is a red leather chair, which is placed at the opposite end of the room from the bed.

The bucket-like seat allows a person to sit back comfortably with their feet on the floor.

The high back creates a majestic appearance stretching almost to the ceiling.

Tears sting my eyes. It’s the most romantic room I have ever seen. No distractions, no fancy furnishings, just everything we need to enjoy our time together. Our little piece of heaven.

Joel pulls himself up beside me. “I’m sorry, baby. This is a disaster.” He runs his hand through his hair as he scans the room and then turns to me. I kiss him softly on the lips as he wipes a tear from my eye.

“No,” I whisper. “This is perfect.” My heart flutters as he watches me. “Our own secluded cave. I love it.”

He exhales. The tension leaving his body before my eyes. And for a moment, everything and everyone outside this little haven doesn’t exist.

***

The soft fur surrounds us as we lie in a tangle of limbs, our bodies intertwined from top to bottom. We haven’t left our room since we found it hours ago. Our cases lie at the front door unopened, the kitchen unused for the hours we’ve been here.

Joel’s fingers skim my back. I love when he touches me in this way, gentle and with care. It’s in these simple moments that I know he truly wants me. This isn’t just a figment of my imagination. A crazy love story we have created for ourselves. “What are you thinking?” he asks.

I pause, considering whether I should answer, not wanting to ruin this moment. “Hmmm,” I mumble. “Keep doing that. It’s divine. I love the feel of your skin on mine.”

“I may only have known you a few days, Nicky. But I know from the look in your eye that’s not what you were thinking about.” He fixes me with a glare. “Talk to me, please. Together, we’ve got more baggage than a normal couple. Nothing should be off limits.”

“Okay,” I mutter. “I was just thinking that you should’ve been married by now.

” His fingers stop stroking and start drumming on my spine.

The motion directly affects the space between my legs, and I feel the wetness building again.

For hours this afternoon and evening, his head has been down there pleasuring me.

The man is insatiable, and I’m not complaining.

“If I’d never met you, I might have married her.” He smiles softly, not meeting my eye. “For a simple life.” His fingers continue to drum over my skin, moving toward my waist. “That would’ve been my greatest regret. Thank you for saving me from myself and my assumed responsibilities.”

Time passes unchecked as we lie together, not speaking. Being with each other is enough. “What time is it?” I ask, eventually.

“I’ve no idea,” he chuckles. “I suppose it’s time I turned my phone back on.” He grimaces at the thought. Joel switched it off as soon as we left Glasgow this morning, knowing his family would chase him for information on his whereabouts.

“You don’t think they actually went to the cathedral, thinking you would turn up.” He shrugs. “Surely not. You told them you wouldn’t be there.”

With a sad smile, he moves a strand of hair from my cheek and kisses me gently. The gesture is romantic and intimate. This feeling between us is so much more than our short relationship.

“You haven’t met my family, baby.” His voice is serious. “My father is used to getting what he wants. We’re all meant to dance to his tune.”

Wriggling from the covers, he extracts himself from the bed.

The ceilings are so low, he must crouch slightly to move through the room.

I lie back on my pillow, hands above my head, and watch him.

It’s a fine show with his muscular back, tight ass, and long legs.

If he turns and gives me a full-frontal view, I think I may explode.

“Fuck, you’re hot,” I purr. He turns and throws me a cheeky grin.

“Not so bad yourself,” he says. His eyes scan my body. The covers lie pooled around my waist, but my fully exposed breasts show erect nipples from hours of his attention.

“Now, where’s my bloody phone?” he mutters.

Finding it beneath my discarded underwear, he twists it between his fingers.

He’s nervous. I don’t blame him. From what I’ve learned about his family from our conversations, getting on the wrong side of the Parker family is bad news.

After a few minutes, he presses the power button, and it springs to life.

Beeps and rings trill from the handset, which lights up like a Christmas tree.

“Fifty-two missed calls, 165 text messages, and a photo of the woman I left at the altar.” His face drops as he stares at the screen.

I see the guilt engulfing him from here.

“She actually went to the cathedral.” His voice is mechanical with disbelief.

Running his hand through his hair, he paces up and down the room.

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask. He shakes his head. “It’s not your fault. You told them you wouldn’t be there. You canceled.”

He glances at me. “The puppet master did not accept the cancellation.”

Joel’s world is a mystery to me. There is so much I don’t know yet. But I’ve learned so far that being loved by a man like him will be complex. He has strings tied to every limb, tight enough to break the skin. I can only pray I’m strong enough to pass him the knife to cut them.

But fifty-two missed calls.

A woman waiting in a wedding dress.

An empire threatening to implode.

All for me.

For us and our new love. That truth is hard to swallow, as heartwarming as it is terrifying. Heaviness weighs on us both as we run into our future and try not to look back until we have to.

Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together. Even if the world burns around us.